The present invention relates generally to a compressor, and more particularly to a rotor of a supersonic compressor.
Compressors are used to compress fluids and are widely used in systems ranging from refrigeration units to jet engines. During operation, the compressor applies mechanical energy to a fluid at lower pressure to raise pressure of the fluid to higher pressure. Compression of the fluid is ether performed in a single stage or in multiple stages. Currently available compression technology varies from centrifugal compression systems to mixed flow compression systems, to axial flow compression systems. The performance of the compressor may be measured by a pressure ratio of the fluid before and after a compression stage. Typically, the pressure ratio achieved in single stage compression is relatively low. Higher pressure ratios are achievable by multistage compression. However, compressors having multiple stages tend to be large, complex and of high cost.
Supersonic compressors are believed to overcome some of the limitations of conventional compressors. In such supersonic compressors, compression is performed by contacting an inlet fluid with a moving rotor having a plurality of rotor vanes which moves the inlet fluid from a low pressure side of the rotor to a high pressure side of the rotor. Generally, in such supersonic compressors, the velocity of the fluid at the high pressure side of the rotor is reduced to subsonic velocity due to generation of a normal shockwave within flow channels defined by the plurality of rotor vanes. An interaction of the normal shockwave with a boundary layer in the flow channels results in a local flow separation of the compressed fluid. Such local flow separation results in reduction of an overall operating efficiency of the compressor. Thus, there is a need for an enhanced supersonic compressor.